Process for the distillation of bituminous coal



Patented Oct. 21, 19 24.

FREDERICK CHARLES IBLYTHE, OF SOUTHSEA, ENGLAND.

rnooEss non THE DISTILLATION or rrmvimotrs GOAL.

. No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnnonmox OHARLE BLYTHE, a subject of the Kin ofEngland,

residing at Southsea, Hants, fingland, have t invented certain new anduseful Improvements in a Process for the Distillation of BituminousGoal, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to crease the ield of hydrocarbon oils cby distillation of bituminous coal. It has for its purpose to avoid or hinderthe cracking of the oils, thus decreasing the amount of the permanentgas which is produced by the ordinary system at the expense of theliquid hydrocarbons. I

According to my invention 1 add to bituminous coal a certain amount ofheavy hydrocarbon oils such as for example petroleum, kerosene, whichmaybe obtained in this process and then heat and distil under ressurewhich can be regulated, so as to yield from the coal, a large proportionof hydrocarbon oils and a small proportion of permanent gas.

The coke or pitchy matter left in the retort may be used in any usualway.

In carrying out this process, I mix a small proportion of hydrocarbonoil with the bituminous coal in a crushed ground or small state, aconvenient proportion being about five or ten parts of the hydrocarbonoil to one hundred parts of the coal but it must be understood that I donot limit the quantity to this but more or less than this quantity orproportion of the hydrocarbon oil may be used. v

I then heat gradually in a closed vessel or lll still made of anysuitable material such as.

' iron so that the pressure inside the still rises. .The pressure isregulated according to the temperature desired in the still. Aconvenientpressure is about 60 pounds to the square inch but thispressure may be varied up or down according to the desired result. The

temperature in the still is a process to in-v shale oil, heavy tar oilgradually raised to about 350 centigrade and then upwards App1icationfiled March 28, 1921. Serial No. 456,187.

to the discharge end but any ordinary still of suitable material such asiron may also be used with or without an agitator.

'-,The volatile products which distil ofi' under pressure are cooled andcondensed as far as practicable and any gas .that'does not condense maybe used for burnin The presence of the hydrocarbon oil mixed with thebituminous coal causes a more uniform softening or melting of thevolatile constituents of the coal and generally acts as a carrier ofsuch constituents and the pressure during the distillation prevents to alarge extent the formation of permanent gas.

The hydrocarbon oil so added to the coal will also distil over to alarge'extent and be recovered with the hydrocarbon oils from the coalbut no claim is made in this invention of the distillation ofhydrocarbon oil alone under pressure. In the process as above describedthe heavy hydrocarbon oils act as a kind of regulator of the destructivedistillation of the bituminous coal, whilst the pressure applied to themixture allows of a more intimate contact thus greatly facilitating theaction of the regulator. When this action has taken place, it is notnecessary to distil under ressure and the distillation can be eifecteunder atmospheric pressure or under a vacuum. Therefore according to amodification of my process, I add to the coal the necessary hydrocarbonoil and heat the mixture as above described and after a suitable time,for example when the desired temperature has been reached I release thepressure and I carry on' the distillation of the volatile matter eitherunder atmospheric pressure or in a vacuum. i

What I claim is:

1. The method-for the distillation of hituminous coal which comprisesmixing the coal with a heavy hydrocarbon oil, heating themixture. underpressure, and then distilling the mixture at a pressure materially below20 atmospheres to obtain a large proportion ofhydrocarbon oils from thecoal with a small proportion of permanent gas.

2. A process for the distillation of bituminous coal, which comprisesmixing a small proportion of heavy ydrocarbon oil with bituminouscoal ina finely divided state, then heating gradually in a closed vessel,increasing the temperature and pressure whereby the h drocarbon oil actsas a regulator ofthe destructive distillation of the Q tile matter.

bituminous coal, then releasing the ressure carbon oil obtained from thedestruction of and completing the distillation of t e volathe coal.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 3. The method for the destructivedistillasignature in presence oftwo witnesses.

5 tion of coal which comprises heating the FREDERICK \CHQRLES BLYTHE.coal in a finely divided state under pressure Witnesses: in the presenceof a heavy hydrocarbon oil HARVEY J. BAYEBBTOGK, regulator, and thendistilling ofi the hydro- CHARLES PACK).

